The Gathering for Adventure
As Elena stirred in the early morning light filtering through the luxurious hotel room, she found herself almost enveloped by Oliver’s comforting presence, nestled snugly against her. A soft chuckle escaped her lips at the sight and planted a soft kiss over his mouth. Oliver grins in his sleep and snuggles closer to her. She considered stealing a few more moments of rest.
However, her tranquillity was interrupted by the persistent buzz of her phone on the nightstand. With a groggy stretch, she reached for it, discovering Sky’s name flashing on the screen.
“Hey, Sky,” she greeted, her voice laced with the remnants of sleep.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. Are you up?” Sky’s voice teased through the phone.
Elena stifled a yawn. “Yes, just about. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I’ve been knocking on your door for a while now, but it seems like you’re all in a deep slumber after a long night,” Sky teased, his voice hinting at playful antics. With a hum of acknowledgement, Sky bid her goodbye, hanging up the call.
As Elena delicately tried to free herself from Oliver’s tight embrace, he instinctively pulled her closer, murmuring in his sleep. After a brief struggle, she managed to extricate herself without rousing him. She pressed a tender kiss to his forehead, ensuring he remained undisturbed, and slipped out of bed, gathering her clothes from where they lay scattered on the floor from the night before.
Hurriedly dressed, she made her way to the bathroom, splashing her face with water to banish the remnants of sleep. Refreshed, she emerged and headed to the living room, where Sky stood outside the door, wearing a grin that hinted at the mischief he had been up to this morning.
“Hey there,” Sky greeted, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he handed her a steaming cup of coffee.
Elena accepted it gratefully, feeling the warmth of the mug against her palms. “Thanks, Sky,” she said, taking a sip as she ushered him inside, closing the door behind them.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, imagining Sky’s mischievous grin on the other end of the line. After a moment, she composed herself. “Give me a few minutes, I’ll be right there to let you in,” she replied, clearing her throat to shake off the slight embarrassment.
“Any plans for today?” Sky inquired, making himself comfortable on the couch in the living room.
“Not yet. Let’s wait for everyone to rise and shine before we decide. Plus, it’d be better to discuss it together,” Elena suggested, settling beside him and taking a sip of her coffee.
“Good idea let’s order something to eat for breakfast because everyone would be hungry when they wake up after all the exercise they did last night,” Sky’s mischievous tone broke the calm, suggesting breakfast plans with a playful eyebrow wiggle. Elena couldn’t suppress her laughter, which resulted in a coffee mishap, causing her to splutter and laugh simultaneously.
“Seriously, Sky?” she managed amidst her chuckles, trying to regain composure as she wiped the spilt coffee, cheeks tinged with embarrassment.
“Gotcha!” Sky winked, enjoying the moment.
Regaining her calm, Elena nodded. “Sky grinned. “Do you have the girls’ breakfast preferences all figured out?”
Elena nodded, blushing slightly at the implication. “I think so.”
“Great! You order for the girls, and I’ll handle the boys’ cravings,” Sky proposed as he reached for the room service menu. Together, they coordinated the breakfast orders for the group, their laughter and camaraderie woke Oliver up.
Oliver slowly roused from his sleep, reaching out to find Elena absent from their shared bed. Panic momentarily seized him, his mind racing with worry that she might have left once again. However, the bustling sounds coming from the living room eased his concerns.
With a sigh of relief, he gathered his scattered clothes and dressed quickly, heading to the bathroom for a refreshing start to the day. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he emerged from the room, his eyes immediately seeking out Elena.
“Morning, love,” Oliver greeted, enveloping Elena in a tender hug from behind.
“Good morning, Oliver. Sky and I’ve already sorted breakfast for everyone,” Elena replied, leaning into his embrace and planting a kiss on the side of his mouth.
As Oliver settled down nearby, Elena turned to Sky, about to request his help in summoning everyone for breakfast. However, Oliver beat her to it.
“No need, I’ve already arranged for breakfast in my room. Asked everyone to join,” Oliver stated, his eyes fixed on Elena.
“Perfect, then I’ll just take a quick shower. Be right back,” Elena announced, rising from the couch.
Oliver, wearing a playful smirk, teased her with an offer to join her in the shower, prompting Elena to playfully toss a pillow in his direction. “No, thank you,” she chuckled before darting into their room and closing the door behind her.
As Elena stepped out of her room, freshly showered and ready for the day, she found everyone gathered, eagerly waiting for her to join them for breakfast. Oliver, sipping his coffee, was the first to speak up. “So, any plans for today?”
Milley, her eyes shining with excitement, chimed in, “How about we head to the mall for some shopping and catch a movie?”
“Are you girls not tired of shopping every week? Besides, we had a movie marathon just last night,” Sky remarked, a hint of playful teasing in his voice.
“Can’t we just chill at home, play some video games, and maybe swim in the pool?” Nick suggested, glancing around at the group.
“Can’t you boys think of anything other than video games?” Cassie retorted a hint of exasperation in her tone.
Nick grinned mischievously. “Nah,” he said, playfully nudging Sky and exchanging a high-five.
Elena, sensing the varied preferences, proposed an idea, “How about we go hiking and camping?”
Surprisingly, everyone unanimously agreed without any disagreement. This was because, except for Elena, everyone else in the group was a werewolf and shared a deep love for nature over staying at home, hence their immediate accord with her suggestion
“But we need gear,” Sky pointed out.
“We have stuff at our dorm,” Piru added a flicker of excitement in her eyes.
Oliver suggested, “We could drive you girls to your dorm to grab your camping gear while we head out to buy supplies.”
The plan quickly gained momentum Elena nodded, “Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area should be perfect.”
After enjoying a hearty breakfast, the girls and Oliver gathered their belongings and made their way to the girls’ dorm room. Meanwhile, the boys eagerly headed towards the shopping mall, eagerly anticipating their task of gathering supplies for their upcoming hiking and camping trip.
In the dorm room, the girls quickly packed their gear equivalents, making sure not to forget any essentials. As they gathered their belongings, they also seized the opportunity to grab some snacks and drinks from the well-stocked dorm room pantry. After all, what is a trip without some tasty treats and refreshing beverages?
Once fully equipped, the girls and Oliver made their way to the shopping mall with determined steps. The boys were already there, their excitement palpable as they inspected various camping gear and equipment. The girls were more than happy to join in the efforts, helping their friends with the selection and purchase of supplies.
After concluding their shopping, the group eagerly readied themselves for their upcoming hiking and camping escapade. Packing the essentials, they ensured nothing vital was overlooked before piling into their respective vehicles. Oliver, Elena, and Sky gathered with their supplies in one car, while Reece and Piru took charge of another. Nick, Milley, Micheal, and Cassie settled into the third vehicle, anticipation bubbling within them.
“I can’t wait to breathe in that mountain air!” Milley exclaimed, reclining comfortably in her seat, a spark of excitement lighting up her eyes.
“Santa Monica, here we come!” Cassie’s enthusiasm reverberated through the car, eliciting a chorus of laughter from the occupants, infecting them all with her contagious energy.